Iron attachment



Feb. 28, 1956 M. H. CORNELLIER 2,736,789

IRON ATTACHMENT Filed June 22, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l Maurice H. Cornell/er INVENTOR.

BY eon Wavy Em Feb. 28, 1956 M. H. CORNELLIIER IRON ATTACHMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 22, 1953 Fig. 7

Maurice H. Corrie/liar INVENTOR.

BY U062.

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IRON ATTACHMENT Maurice H. Cornellier, Dearborn, Mich. Application June 22, 1953, Serial No. 363,102 4 Claims. (Cl. 219-25) The present invention relates to an attachment for holding a sadiron out of engagement with its supporting surface.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a sadiron attachment that will automatically lift the base of the sadiron oif its supporting surface and then cut off electric current to the iron.

A very important object of the invention, ancillary to the primary object, is to provide a sadiron automatic lift attachment in conjunction with a special electrical connecting plug operatively connected to the lifting attachment whereby heating of the coils Within the iron can occur only when the base of the iron is on its supporting surface and whereby the electrical current will be immediately shut off upon lifting of the iron on the automatic lift attachment so that not only will the base of the iron be above the supporting surface but at the same time the base of the iron will be cooling rather than heating thereby avoiding the danger of fire so often encountered with unattended irons.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel automatic lifting attachment for flatirons or sadirons that is almost universally adaptable to any type of iron and which interferes in no manner with the normal operation of the iron.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a specially adapted electrical connector plug for the terminals of the ironing coils that will automatically disconnect or break the circuit to the coils upon release of the automatic lifting means for the iron.

A still further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a novel actuating connection between the lifting attachment and the adapter plug for connecting and breaking the circuit in response to the actuation of the lifting means.

These, together with various ancillary objects and features which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which is shown by way of example only in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a flatiron to which the attachment of the present invention is applied showing the iron in its lifted position with the electrical circuit being broken;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view similar to Figure 1 showing the base of the'fiatiron in its support engaging position with the electrical circuit being complete;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the flatiron with the attachment applied thereto being stood on end to show how current can be admitted to the ironing coils to heat the same prior to use;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the lifting attachment for the sadiron per se;

Figure 5 is an end view of the lifting attachment for the iron;

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of the electrical adapter plug constituting a portion of the present invennited States Patent 0 tion to connect the terminals of the ironing coils to a source of electricity; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view of the plug taken substantially along section line 77 of Figure 6.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail wherein like reference numerals are utilized to designate like parts throughout the various views, a suitable sadiron or fiatiron is illustrated in its entirety by the numeral 10.

The iron 10 comprises generally a suitable base 12, heating coil housing 14, handle 16 and socket 18 wherein the ends of the heating coils (not shown) of the iron terminate.

Conveniently, the attachment may be split up into two parts, namely, an automatic iron lifting attachment 20 and a special adapter plug 22 for completing and breaking the electrical circuit to the ironing coils in response to the raising and lowering of the lifting attachment 20.

Referring particularly to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, the lifting attachment 20 will be first described in detail. The attachment 2%) comprises a saddle member 24 of substantially channel shape and conforming to the contour of the iron handle 16. The saddle 24 is received over the handle 16 and includes pairs of downwardly extending legs 26 and 28 adjacent the forward and rearward ends thereof respectively. Each of the legs 26 and 28 has an elongated slot in the lower or terminal end thereof, the slot in leg 26 being evidenced by the numeral 30 and that in leg 28 being evidenced by the numeral 32. A pair of scissored levers 34 is mounted on each of the legs 26 and 28 on the same side of the saddle 24. Since a description of the securement of one pair of scissored levers will suflice for both, only a single pair will be described in detail.

Noting Figure 4, the pair of scissored levers 34 comprises a first lever 36 having its inner ends slidably secured in the slot 30 of the leg 26 and having its outer end arcuately formed as at 39. The second leg 38 has its inner end slidably mounted in the slot 32 and its outer end correspondingly arcuated as at 40. Where the legs 36 and 38 cross one another they are pinned to one another as at 42 for simultaneous pivoting operation. U-shaped bracket 44 has its bight portion transversely overlying the heating coil housing 14 of the iron and its flanges 46 detachably journaling the pivot pins 42. A suitable fastener 48 secures the bight portion of the bracket 44 to the housing 14 of the iron. The lower portions of the scissored legs 36 and 33 are joined to one another by a compression spring 50 constantly urging the outer ends 39 and 4t toward one another. Thus, when the attachment 20 is mounted as shown in Figure l, and no pressure is applied to the saddle 24 to press the same against the handle 16, the iron 10 will be automatically raised off the supporting base.

To the rear end of the saddle 24 is a downwardly depending arm 52 to prevent forward movement of the saddle on the handle 15. The free end of the arm 52 is formed as a hammer 54 for a purpose that will become immediately apparent.

To understand the operation of the hammer 54, it will be first necessary to understand the utility of the adapter plug 22. The plug 22 has a pair of recesses 56 in the lower end thereof for receiving the terminals of the heating coils of the iron, and a second pair of recesses 58 in the upper end thereof for receiving the terminals of a suitable electric wire 60 for conducting current to the heating coils.

the plug 22 and communicating recesses 55; and 56 respectively An electric contact plate 62 is disposed within the chamber for transverse movement toward and away from the portion of the chamber into which the recesses open.

Formed centrally within with the upper and lower is a central chamber 60.

Astud projects from one surface of the plate 62 outwardly through one wall of the plug and is designated by the numeral 64. Coil spring 66 reacts between the wall of the plug and its attachment to the stud 64 to urge the plate 62 into contact with the wall of the chamber most removed from the wall of the chamber into which the recesses open. From the central portion of the other surface of the plate 62 and extending through the other wall of the plug 22 is an arm 68. A small bell crank 70 is pivoted intermediate its ends to the terminal end of the arm 68. The first leg 72 of the bell crank 70 extends perpendicularly from the wall of the plug 22 and is provided with an anvil 74 at its terminal end whereas the second leg 76 of the bell crank is disposed alongside the wall of the plug 22. Thus, when the anvil 74 is struck, the arm 68 is pulled through the wall of the plug and the plate 62 is moved in opposition to the coil spring 66 to establish electrical contact between the electrical conduit 66 and the terminals of the iron coils.

When the plug 22 is mounted in the socket 18 as shown in Figure 1, the saddle 24 is pressed against the handle 16 whereby the hammer 54 strikes the anvil 74 pulling the plate 62 into engagement with the terminals of the conduit 69 and the terminals of the iron coils. This engagement is shown in Figure 2. Since this pressure on the saddle 24 seats the base 12 of the arm on the supporting surface, it will be seen that only during the actual pressing operation will current be admitted to the ironing coils. Upon release of the saddle 24, the hammer 54 is released from the anvil 74 and the circuit broken from the electrical conduit 60.

However, when it is desired to heat the iron, the same may he stood upright as shown in Figure 3 so that the stud 64 will engage the supporting surface and press the contact plate 62 into engagement with the terminals of the conduit 60 in the ironing coils. Thus, the iron may be preheated as desired; but, should the iron inadvertently fall from its upright position, the base 12 of the iron would be automatically lifted from the supporting surface and the electrical circuit broken. Likewise, even if the iron is left on the material being pressed, in other words supported above this material by the scissored levers 34, the material would not be scorched since the base of the iron would be cooling due to the breaking of the electrical circuit by the plug 22.

From the foregoing description, the construction and operation of the iron attachment forming the present invention it is believed to be readily understood. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a careful perusal of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described. But, all suitable modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a sadiron including a handle and electrical terminals for heating the iron, an attachment for automatically lifting the iron and breaking the electrical circuit to the terminals upon release of pressure from the iron, said attachment including resiliently actuated scissored levers attached to said iron at their scissored connections and normally urging the same upward from a supporting surface, a saddle spacedly overlying said handle throughout the length thereof operatively connected to said levers for moving the same in opposition to said resilient means to seat the iron on the supporting surface as the saddle is pressed toward the handle, an electric plug engaging said terminals, and means on said plug engaging said saddle to provide electrical contact of said plug and said terminals when the saddle is pressed against the handle.

2. In combination with a sadiron including a handle and electrical terminals for heating the iron, an attachment for automatically lifting the iron and breaking the electrical circuit to the terminals upon release of pressure from the iron, said attachment including resiliently actuated scissored levers fixedly attached to said iron at their scissored connections and normally urging the same upward from a supporting surface, a saddle normally spacedly overlying said handle throughout the length thereof and operatively connected to said levers for moving the same in opposition to said resilient means as the saddle is pressed into engagement with the handle to seat the iron on the supporting surface, an electric plug engaging said terminals, and means on said plug engaging said saddle to provide electrical contact of said plug and said terminals as the saddle is pressed into engagement with the handle, said plug including an electrical contact plate normally spaced from said terminals, said means including an arm projecting from said plate and terminating beneath said saddle and engaged by the saddle as the same is pressed downwardly against the handle.

3. In combination with a sadiron including a handle and electrical terminals for heating the iron, an attachment for automatically lifting the iron and breaking the electrical circuit to the terminals upon release of pressure from the iron, said attachment including resiliently actuated scissored levers fixedly attached to said iron at their scissored connections and normally urging the same upward from a supporting surface, a saddle normally spacedly overlying said handle throughout the length thereof and operatively connected to said levers for moving the same in opposition to said resilient means as the saddle is pressed into engagement with the handle to seat the iron on the supporting surface, an electric plug engaging said terminals, and means on said plug engaging said saddle to provide electrical contact of said plug and said terminals, said saddle including a head depending from the rear end thereof, said plug including an electrical contact plate movably disposed therein, a bell crank connected to said plate and disposed exteriorly of said plug, said head contacting said bell crank and drawing said contact plate into engagement with said terminals upon seating of the iron on a supporting surface.

4. A sadiron lifting and current shut-off attachment comprising a saddle shaped to overlie and partially embrace throughout the length thereof the handle of a sadiron, scissored levers suspended from opposite sides of the handle for straddling the iron, resilient means urging said scissored levers toward parallel relation with one another, a bracket bridging the space between said scissored levers fixedly secured to said levers at their scissored connections, means on said bracket securing the same to the sadiron whereby as the levers are urged toward parallel relation with one another the iron is urged upwardly one set of ends of said levers being slidingly pivotally connected to said saddle at the ends thereof and raising said saddle from the handle during the upward movement of the iron, movement of said saddle toward the handle spreading said scissored levers in opposition to said resilient means to seat the iron on a supporting surface.

Refercnces Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 962,989 Stevens June 28, 1910 1,457,792 Older June 5, 1923 1,694,688 Pandolfo Dec. 11, 1928 1,714,937 I Anderson May 28, 1929 2,149,251 Campana Mar. 7, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 110,451 Austria Aug. 25, 1928 380,314 Germany Sept. 4, 1923 917,725 France Sept. 23, 1946 

